1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to packaging for the transportation and heating of food and more particularly to disposable packaging for convection cooking of frozen foods when attached to a source of forced heated air.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The demand for variety in convenience frozen foods has engendered a seemingly endless flow of products from manufacturers. The often voiced criticism of many of these products respects their lack of traditional qualities of taste and texture. This criticism is typically directed to frozen foods heated in microwave ovens, but is also heard with respect to frozen foods cooked in conventional ovens.
The manner in which microwaves heat food and the packaging of frozen foods are two central problems in this area. Microwaves heat food substantially evenly throughout the body of the food, rather than from the outside in. Metallic packaging used in conventional ovens allows air to be exposed to one face only of the food. For foods such as french fried potatoes, more traditional results are obtained if the food is exposed to a flow of heating air which impinges all surfaces of the individual cuts of the potatotes. Cooking of food by flowing, heated air is known as convection heating.
Convection heating of french fried potatoes, and the superior results it affords are known. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,184, issued Mar. 1, 1983 to Gilliom, a disposable receptacle suitable for holding food during cooking and for serving of the food, especially french fried potatoes is disclosed. The receptacle is intended to provide a pan for heating the food and a plate for serving the food. It does not appear, however, that the receptacle is suitable for shipping of the frozen food. Nor does the device taught by Gilliom function as a circulating plenum for convection cooking.